Classic films appreciation thread - come and join us!

[PrivateParkin]

Following on from the recent thread about favourite actors from old films, @FatBallsAndSunflowerSeeds had the fab idea of an old movies appreciation thread... So here it is! If you like old films and actors of any kind, come and join us.

old thread

We thought we'd look out for any classic films being shown on TV, post them on this thread and then discuss them afterwards... But if you want to post about any of your favourite old films and actors at any time, that would also be fab. Basically, this is just a place to chat about old films - please come and join us!

I'm off to check the TV schedules for any potential gems coming up - I will post again with anything that looks good.

Meantime, here's James Cagney tap dancing down the stairs in Yankee Doodle Dandy - happy bank holiday everyone
m.youtube.com/watch?v=xlvB4xk4LNQ

Just sneaking in here-I haven't seen a B & W film for years.
Going to read back now .
Fond memories of watching old films on a Sunday afternoon.
Love musicals mostly - The King and I ( I even saw it with Yul Brynner on the West End Stage with Virginia Mckenna ) and Calamity Jane are my favourites
but saw a lot of old war movies -
love The Great Escape. I think I fell in love with James Garner ( not Steve McQueen)

Hello knowledgeable people of classic films. I have been set the challenge of watching 20 classic films this year; was wondering if you could hit me with some of your favourite classics to watch? Thanks.

Will have a read through and see if I can pick any out myself too

CARVE HER NAME WITH PRIDE

I want to see that RadioTimes. Lots of people rated it earlier in the thread.

Tiddled yes there should be loads of recommendations in the thread, but I will have a think. I might set a 2019 viewing target for myself as well!

tiddledpink you must watch Sullivan's Travels (my favourite film ever) and I also suggest Laura, The Women, Sunset Boulevard, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - that's for starters!

To add to other suggestions: -

Kind Hearts and Coronets
Genevive
Passport to Pimlico
The Mouse that Roared
Hobson's Choice
The Bishop's Wife )
) These two have been on over Christmas
Brief Encounter )
The Titchfield Thunderbolt
The Importance of being Earnest
Blithe Spirit
To Kill a Mockingbird
Rebecca
Suspicion
It happened one Night
Witness for the Prosecution

These should keep you going for a couple of days.

Ooooh!

The Wicked Lady - this is brilliant!

There are millions - they're just popping into my head and I can't type fast enough!

The Smallest Show on Earth Twas on tother day

Preston Sturges was a brilliant director, always watchable.
Sunday afternoon films were so good, wish they still had them on. Or a channel just showing them. I mean we got hundreds on DVD, but it's a faff finding them etc.

Right, am having a go at your poll OhWhat. This does change depending on mood though (and I probably will have contradicted myself elsewhere in the thread).

Favourite musical - can I say Mary Poppins? I love the Sherman brothers' songs. However if that's not really a true musical then I'll go with Meet Me In St Louis.

Favourite drama - It's A Wonderful Life

Comedy - I love The Philadelphia Story, but this could be too much Jimmy, if that's possible... In which case I'll change my drama pick to... The Adventures of Robin Hood (probably also fits the comedy category ).

Favourite actor - James Stewart

Actress - Jean Arthur or Olivia de Havilland. Or Ida Lupino. There are too many...

And to answer my own question I think the best old film I've seen for the first time this year is The Bishop's Wife - although that could be because I've only seen it recently... Don't think so though. Otherwise probably Summertime, the gorgeous David Lean romance starring Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi and Venice 💕

Good choices, Private!

A couple more suggestions for tiddledpink

Roman Holiday
Funny Face
An American in Paris
The Ladykillers
The Man in the White Suit
A Matter of Life and Death (probably my favourite film ever)
Call Me Madam
Calamity Jane

I love a big brassy American musical but my real passion is British B & W (or early colour) films, preferably of the 40s and 50s, preferably with lots of London locations that Dh and I can try and identify because we are hopeless cases

Great suggestions Halsall! I feel in need of an old film binge after reading that list (even though that's basically all I've been doing over Christmas anyway...)

ohwhat you must have come across Talkingpics? Although the quality is very variable, I mean sound and picture. I also find lots in Apple TV

Just realised I missed a couple of posts. bookbook do you mean you saw Yul Brynner in the actual flesh?? Tell us more!

I have Davros, but it does tend to British films (which is great, but I do love a Hollywood smasher) I love the shorts they play too, like looking back in time. I would like an on demand channel, happily scrap Netflix.

There was a classic film streaming service, Film Struck, sadly now defunct. It was owned by one of the big film companies - not sure which - and they got rid of it as it wasn't mainstream enough (well that's how I understood it). Very shortsighted imho.

I know what you mean about Talking Pictures, I love it dearly and have seen loads of films on it that I'd never have come across otherwise. But I would love to see more old Hollywood films on TV here as well. TCM in the UK is a bit too cowboy/war film focused for my liking - the US TCM, which I follow on Twitter, seems to show a much wider range. I wish they would show the same in the UK!

As I said before, AppleTV has a very good library of Hollywood classics.

I would like an on demand channel, happily scrap Netflix.

PrivateEggnog - yes I did!!! It was erm.... hazy guess about 1979/80 , so he wasn't young then, But it was fab! He was very good, but couldn't sing very well , but looked incredible for his age .
I was very lucky that I had a few years going down to London with DH for his Christmas works do , and we always tried to fit in a visit to the West End . So I also saw West Side Story the following year with Steven Pacey (who had been in Blakes Seven ) He could sing, and it made me cry .

I suddenly realised that I thought he was old then - I am now older than he was when I saw him on stage - oh dear!

That sounds brilliant book. There was a lot of love for Yul on the actors of old Hollywood thread (now sadly deleted as it was an old Chat thread). How amazing to see a real life legend, I'm v envious!

My favourite classic, All About Eve, hasn't been mentioned yet as a recommendation.

Also noticed just now when browsing Amazon Prime that another favourite is on there - Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? Love Bette Davis in that as well - 'I didn't bring your breakfast, because you didn't eat your din-din!' I may have said that once or twice in my daily life .

Yul was a very fine figure of a man.
AllAbout Eve is a cracker. I hate to be cliched, but if Casablanca is on, I have to watch it.
Has anyone read the book Suspects by David Thompson? Each chapter is a back story of characters from films (mainly noir) and links them, weaving a massive story arc. It's great for classic film fans.

That book sounds great, OhWhat.

I have a couple of Stuart Kaminsky novels on my Kindle waiting to be read - they're detective stories set in Hollywood with his fictional private 'tec investigating various crimes, with settings including real films or actors. Eg In 'Murder on the Yellow Brick Road' he starts out trying to discover who killed a Munchkin on the set of The Wizard of Oz.

They're fun, light reading, not great literature but entertaining. And there are 24 of them!